The IOC Tsunami Programme aims at reducing the loss of lives and livehoods that could be produced worldwide by tsunamis. In order to accomplish this, the IOC Tsunami Unit supports IOC Member States in assessing tsunami risk, implementing Tsunami Early Warning Systems (EWS) and in educating communities at risk about preparedness measures.

The IOC Tsunami Programme, through the coordination of regional meetings, capacity building activities and the support of national and regional projects is a key stakeholder for tsunami risk reduction at global level. Four Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICGs) corresponding to the regions Pacific, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean have been established to address particular regional needs. The IOC Tsunami Unit is compounded by the Technical Secretariats of these four regional systems, the Head of the Unit, the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC), the Jakarta Tsunami Information Centre (JTIC), the Tsunami Information Centre for the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTIC) and technical and professional staff.

Operational tsunami warning centres provide tsunami advisories, watches and warnings to the four regions. Additionally, each ICG counts on the strategic advisory of specialized Working Groups whose members are professionals from key disaster management and research institutions.